The Stolen Ones
by LilzQueenofQuills
Summary: Three teenagers escape from an orphanage and somehow get transported to a different time. Will they be able to cope with the new challanges of medieval life? Read and Review, you know the drill. Ta.
1. The Final Straw

CHAPTER ONE  
  
Clio was a tough girl, strong and streetwise. She would watch and listen to the world around her from behind a wall so thick and steep, that those who tried to breach it would soon find themselves falling to their doom. Because, though Clio 'looked' like the shy type who would be quite at home in the dusty shelves of a library, she had a mean right hook. People rarely antagonised her more than once, and those that did were not considered to have much sanity. They were soundly punished, up to and beyond the verge of tears, and that was on a good day. It was always a great surprise when people first see the company that she kept. Or, rather, that kept her. Clio had only ever had two real friends, and had known them all her life.  
  
Clio, Thalia and Zephyrus, had only three things in common. Firstly, they all lived in the Parkinson Home for Orphaned and Abandoned Children. Secondly, all three were named for Greek Divinities. Zephyrus, or Zeph, to the girls, was named for the Greek god of Calm, Peace of Mind and Emotions. Strangely, his personality revolved around those few characteristics, as did those of the girls. Clio and Thalia, were namesakes of two of the nine muses, Thalia, that of Comedy and Light-hearted Poetry, and Clio, that of History. Thalia was a perfect name for her, as Zeph's was for him, but Clio was different. Truth was, Clio didn't have a history. The nurses that managed the orphanage were constantly reminding her that she had been forced upon them, when her parents died when she was three months old. It was because of them that made Clio put up the wall that surrounded her. The only people that had ever been let through were Thalia and Zeph. It was them, and only them, that managed to keep Clio on the rails of sanity, and they often saw themselves as siblings.  
  
Thalia, had long, shimmery, wavy, black locks, and saw the world through eyes, as brown as chocolate, and flecked with the gold fire of her spirit. Zeph could easily have been her brother, having the same hair and eyes. Thalia brought life to the trio. Though she was only 14, she definitely knew a thing or two, and could always cheer the others up. Surprisingly, it was Zeph who needed it more often than Clio. By being such an Outsider, Zeph automatically put himself in the life of fire, from The Bullies.  
  
Zeph was passive, despising conflict, and rarely stood up for himself when he unconsciously attracted the attention of The Bullies, which actually happened quite often. They would tease him for his name, his intelligence, which was really nothing to sneeze at, as Zeph was quite smart, his shyness, and his friends, or rather, lack thereof. The encounters were becoming more numerous until he was being tormented almost every night. It was one such night late in October, that found Zeph, once again surrounded, as he read a book that he had discovered in the library that he frequently visited. It was the only place that he was left in peace.  
  
"Oh look, Stephany here has found himself another book," the porky Ringleader gibed. He reached out and tried to snatch the leather-bound novel, but was far too slow. "Why do you read, anyway? You're already as stupid as a camel, why try to make it any worse?" His followers sniggered. "When he gets as stupid as you then you should worry," a voice called out from across the room. Porky's mouth hung open in astonishment. Porky gulped. "How...how dare you talk to me like that" he spluttered. Thalia tossed a sharp 'Don't do it' look to Clio, she knew what was coming, but it made no difference. Clio slowly stood up, quite a menacing action. She was only recently 15, an uncelebrated birthday, but she was already at a height of five feet and seven inches, and still growing. She towered over the majority of them, only a few older boys being a match for her. Porky looked like he was about to have a fit. "That's a nasty twitch you have there," she smiled sickly-sweet, "You should get that looked at." The nice act dropped quickly, "I am sick and tired of the way you strut around here like you own the place, and I'm sure everyone else is too. But you are an orphan just like the rest of us, and damn well know it, so sit down, shut up and stop bothering us," Porky looked defeated and was about to back away, when Clio added, "And before you scurry off like the 'roach you are, I'd like to hear an apology for my friend here." She stood there expectantly, hands on hips like a mother, whose child had just broken something. Porky was just about to mumble something, when a booming voice echoed from the doorway, "If you have quite finished, Clio, I would like a word." It was not a request. As she slowly stalked towards the large woman, whom the order had come from, she saw one of Porky's cronies smirk from behind her. *That little rat*, she thought, *when I get my hands on him...* Clio's thoughts were cut off by the sudden pressure of a hand grasping the back of her neck, and half pushing, half dragging, took her down to the Head-Matron's office. The last thing she heard, before the door was closed, was cruel laughter punctuated by the pleas that could only belong to Zeph.  
  
"Well, well, well," the large woman said as she sat down behind the desk.  
  
"Well, what?" Clio asked, rudely.  
  
"I was waiting for you to slip up. I knew you would, someday. And today is that day," Clio just stood there, a hazy cloud floating into her eyes. The nurses had never liked her much, and every chance they got, they punished Clio, or one of her friends, whether they deserved it or not. The lecture would run for an hour or two, she had heard them all, so she usually just stood there looking bored. This time was different, though. Clio's ears pricked as she heard 'parents' being mentioned, interrupting to say, "I thought they died?" A cruel smirk crossed the Head-matron's face, "No, that's what they wanted us to tell you. But they just wanted to get rid of you. Couldn't stand you any longer..." The woman kept on talking, but Clio just stood there, absolutely dumbstruck. *No, this cannot be happening. My parents are dead* She stood there, telling herself over and over that her parents couldn't possibly be alive, until the Matron grew bored of the tormenting, and sentenced her to bread and water suppers for a week. Clio retreated in a daze. It wasn't the punishment that bothered her, they didn't get much more than that anyway, but she couldn't get over the fact that her parents had ditched her.  
  
Somehow, Clio managed to stumble blindly to the girls' dormitory, and get into the bunk bed that she occupied above Thalia. It was then that the tears started flowing. The silent, salty droplets made paths down her cheeks, making her sniff. Thalia, never missing a beat, heard her soon enough, "Clio, what's wrong?" she asked, worriedly. Clio just sniffed, *this can't be happening* she thought *I'm tough, I'm the one that people run away from, and I'm crying. I never cry* Suddenly another thought hit her, a revelation that she *knew* she had to follow.  
  
Clio swiftly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bunk. Steeling her resolve, she went to one of the two plain trunks, situated at the end of the bed. This made Thalia, literally, sit up and take notice. This wasn't like Clio. Normally, she would just come in and go to sleep, and, Thalia, in all the years that they had known each other, had never seen Clio cry. "What are you doing? What happened?"  
  
Clio remained silent, and continued sifting through her trunk. "Aahh, there it is," she proclaimed quietly, emerging triumphant holding a canvas duffle bag, and preceded to stuff it with the few possessions she had.  
  
"Clio, what are you doing?" Thalia, now thoroughly concerned, repeated as she threw off the bed covers and went over to her long-time friend.  
  
"I'm leavin'. This place is killing me. I have to get out of here." Clio said in a hushed whisper, catching Thalia's eyes to make her point. Thalia knew that look. Once that passionate fire, that only she and Zeph knew about, started burning in Clio's eye, a whole herd of wild horses would not be able to stop her from reaching her goal. Thalia sighed, resignedly, and started packing a duffle bag of her own. "What are you doing?" Clio whispered, shrill-ly.  
  
"Well, I can't just let you go out there on your own, now, can I?" Thalia asked in her mothering tone, eyebrow raised. "I'm serious, Clio. You go, I go. It's always been that way, you know that,"  
  
Clio opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it and just sighed. "I just don't want you getting hurt that's all,"  
  
"Well, we both know that I can't stop you, and you can't stop me, so why bother arguing about it,"  
  
Clio almost burst out laughing, but held it in. Thalia's matter-of-fact way of looking at things had always made her feel like the world didn't matter, and that she could conquer all her problems. Clio, in an un-characteristic burst of affection, reached out and hugged Thalia, much to her surprise. Then they finished emptying their trunks and left to tackle the unknown world outside the walls of the orphanage. 


	2. The Journey Begins

Clio and Thalia crept silently out of the girls dorm-room, dodging the well- known 'creaky floorboard' at the end of the corridor. Clio walked ahead of Thalia, in a partnership that they had trained to perfection in their years of friendship. While she watched for obstacles up ahead, Thalia brought up the rear, watching their backs.  
  
Suddenly, Clio stopped, without warning and started backing up, in the same motion. Someone was coming!! Shoo-ing Thalia back, they listened to the approaching footsteps with baited breath, hoping to remain unseen in a nook, offset in the wall. They soon heard the steps receding, and gustily let out the breath that they had unconsciously been holding. They waited for a few more minutes, just to be sure, and then continued on their way.  
  
It wasn't until it was too late to do anything, that they noticed they were no longer alone. Thalia stifled a scream, as a hand clasped itself over her mouth. "Thalia, it's me. Be quiet." Zeph slowly removed his hand, as Thalia whirled around to face him. "Zeph? What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't you ever make any noise?" she whispered, furiously, "You scared the life out of me!"  
  
"What are you doing? And, why are you carrying bags? You're leaving, aren't you?"  
  
"Gee, what was your first clue?" Thalia muttered, sarcastically.  
  
"Ok, stay here for two minutes. I'll go get my bag," Zeph said, and before either of them could protest, he had raced, silently, around the corner to the boys dorms.  
  
*How does he DO that* they both thought, simultaneously. They turned to face each other, and shrugged. Zeph had always been able to detect when they were up to something, they all knew each other *that* well. Zeph soon returned, and the three of them trooped off to find their fortunes.  
  
With their duffle bags slung over their shoulders, the trio made several quick stopovers. Firstly, the storeroom, for matches, candles, blankets, and some of the oilskin cloaks, that the nurses wore when they were forced outside on stormy nights. This wasn't very often, so the cloaks weren't in very good condition. However, they still took the best three, and, as a second thought, some extra oil, to rub into them.  
  
The next stop was the kitchens, thankfully empty of the nurses that made the meals. They grabbed a full water canteen each and as much food as they could carry, bread, cheese, a salami string, and, as they were running out of the back door, one of the hams that was hanging from the ceiling. Once outside, they trudged to the shed, taking bows, arrows, two quivers, snow gear, and repairing equipment for the weapons.  
  
The nurses at the orphanage had forced them all to learn how to fend for themselves, getting some of the more gullible locals to give the children free lessons in archery, hunting and tracking. Clio also grabbed three small daggers and, after shoving hers into her belt, and motioned the others do the same. Thoughtfully, she grabbed another three, one that went to the small of her back, another into her left sleeve, and the other disappearing down the leg of her boot. She would not explain why, if the others had asked, but, trusting her fully, they didn't.  
  
Finally, with their duffle bags considerably heavier than they had been at the beginning, they barged through the snow, strapped the bags to their backs, and, one after the other, scaled the fence to freedom. Clio breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the top and perched there for a minute or two. She was pleased that her plan had unfolded, without any major problems. Then with a quick glance back to her former prison, she dropped down the other side of the fence, and joined Thalia and Zeph, who waited patiently for her at the edge of the wood. "We're free," she said. And so they were. 


	3. The Tauros

The start of their journey ran relatively smoothly, and by morning they discovered that they were  
quite a considerable way from the hated orphanage. The thought of the nurse coming to get them all  
out of bed and finding the three of them missing, brought tears of laughter to Clio's eyes. Just   
as they walked out into a clearing, she squealed in a burst of realisation and merriment,a most  
un-Clio like thing to do and whirled around to face the others. "We're free," she exclaimed, "No  
more bread and water punishments, no more scrubbing floors or flicked ears. Its all over." Thalia  
and Zeph hesitated momentarily, then grins broke out on their faces, as they enveloped each other  
in a three-way hug. "Yeh, but what do we do now?" Zeph asked, always a thinker. Clio wasn't  
listening. She was looking over their shoulders, back into the forest they had just emerged from.  
They saw the glazed look of fear as Clio backed away, and turned to see a hideous creature emerging  
from the tree-line.   
  
None of them, even in their wildest, most horrible nightmares, had ever imagined that such a   
creature could possibly exist. It was about 7 feet tall and thickly muscled, covered in a foul   
layer of filth that looked to be permenant, and a complete lack of clothing told them that it was  
most certainly male. However, the strangest thing, by far, about this freakish creation, was its head.  
Rather than a human head, which would have gone quite understandably with the human body, the thing  
had the head of a bull, complete with blood-stained horns, and evilly-glinting eyes.   
  
All three teenagers gasps simultaniously, as the horror of the tauros, which was what the creature  
turned out to be, sank in. Instantly, the tauros turned its head towards them, and seeing Clio   
and Thalia only a few metres away, began advancing towards the group, taking slow, ground-shaking  
steps, with a manic gleam in his eye, that only meant one thing. If it caught them, they somehow  
knew that it would rape the two girls and kill Zeph. Terrified for their lives, they retreated.   
Unfortunatly, they found themselves blocked by an inpenitrable wall of trees, panicked, and were   
forced to turn and face their attacker.   
  
Looking back at the event, Zeph had no idea whatsoever, as to what came over him, that day. But,   
whatever it was, it certainly saved thier lives. Bravely, he moved in front of the two girls,   
and, without taking his eyes off the approaching Tauros, retrieved the bow that had been packed in   
his rucksack. The girls their initial panic over, saw what Zeph was doing and started scabbling   
around behind them for small rocks to throw. Maybe if they were lucky they could stun it long   
enough to get away. Zeph, who was as non-violent as they came, calmly placed an arrow to the string,  
drew it back to his ear, aimed and shot, successfully hitting the creature in the shoulder. It let  
out a roar of rage and pain, and lunged forward. It was too late, though. Zeph, lightning fast   
through untold years of secret self-training, drew and fired in a fluid movement. Suddenly, the  
tauros, an arrow sprouting from the middle of its head, collapsed, and lay motionless, in an  
ever-growing pool of blood. Panting a little, from the adrenalin and terrifying excitement, Zeph  
lowered the bow, and turned, smiling, to his two companions. They stared at him, dumbstruck, and   
for a full five minutes, no one said a word, them from their new-found respectful awe of Zeph,   
and him, from the amazement at their strange reaction towards him.   
  
"Wh-Where did you learn to...to shoot like that?" Clio broke the silence, haltingly.   
"I taught myself, at night, have been at least four times a week for the past six years," he told   
her, lowering his voice, as if admitting a closely guarded secret.   
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Thalia, "I thought we shared *all* our secrets?"  
"I don't know. I dont even know why I started. I was just down in the shed one morning, chopping   
wood, and I had the sudden urge to use the bows, that hung on the wall," Zeph replied anxiously,   
"So I did. And ever since, I've been going down, every second night to practice,"  
The two girls stared at him in astonished silence.   
"Well, I announce myself thoroughly impressed, Zeph, but I'm afraid we really must concentrate on  
the matter at hand," Clio said, in a brisk business-like voice, "Now, that *thing*," she pointed   
at the, now dead, tauros laying several metres away, "is not something you see everyday. Unless,"  
she continued, "You happed to live in a Mythology book. Even then, it's a fantasy creature, as in  
not real,"  
"Well, I dont know about you two, but personally, I would like to get as far from that *thing* as  
you so kindly put it, as possible," Thalia stated.  
  
Nodding in agreement, the three of them started off towards the far wall of trees, staying as far   
from the tauros as they could. They scrambled, scraped and slipped their way through the dense   
forest until the trees thinned once again. The two girls heard Zeph, who was leading now, thanks  
to his proved skill with a bow, mutter under his breath, "Toto, I dont think we're in Kansas,   
anymore," just before they burst out of the bushes to join him. They looked at him in confusion.  
"I read it in a book once," he explained, "But get a load of this," And seeing where they had   
ended up, the girls couldn't help but agree. 


End file.
